The Fiat 500, or “Cinquecento,” has been around since 1957 as a symbol of Italian culture. Like its competitor, the Mini Cooper, it was charming, cute, and cheap, but it did have a rather significant hiatus from 1975 all the way to 2007. It didn’t appear on our shored until 2011, but the plug was pulled again in 2019. Now, it’s back again—we’ve been playing around with a 2024 Fiat 500e to see if the latest, high-tech, all-electric version of the Cinquecento can maintain that old school Italian charm it’s so famous for.
Since its inception, one of the Fiat 500’s hallmarks is the cute shape and diminutive footprint. The newest 500e maintains all of that. It’s one of the smallest cars on sale today, with a wheelbase that stretches a mere 90.6 inches—almost a foot and a half shorter than a Civic. We’re used to saying it’s the large, wide, and low cars that have presence, yet this cute little 500 had a presence of its own, standing out among the half-ton pickups and eight-passenger SUVs we North Americans love.
Our Red Edition tester is especially cheeky, with red accents complimenting the white paint quite nicely. There’s red splashed on the mirror caps and ‘500’ logos, and it wears 17-inch wheels in a unique two-tone finish. They’re appropriately sized for the little Fiat. The red theme continues inside, with red piping on the black cloth seats. I dig the Fiat lettering subtly stitched into the seats. It’s fun! There’s also a red ‘Red 500’ logo on the front seats. A large portion of the dash is finished in a glossy red, with a red ‘500’ logo on the steering wheel finishing it all off. It all feels fun and hints at the playful nature of this small but mighty little transportation device.
I know, you’re probably asking, “but Imran, how can you have fun with a car with just 118 horsepower?” That’s 51 shy of a regular Toyota Corolla—not even the one with a GR badge. And the Fiat 500e is an EV to boot, which are known to be heavy, so it doesn’t exactly seem enticing on paper. Ah, but unlike most EVs, the Fiat 500e weighs just under 3,000 pounds, due in large part to its diminutive overall size and small 42 kWh battery—more on that later.
Now, 118 horses and and a 2,952-pound curb weight is still not hair-raising, but 162 pound-feet of torque available instantaneously helps keep the 500e feeling light and sprightly. A 7.9-second zero-to-100 km/h sprint isn’t wild, but it’s a whole second faster than that Corolla I mentioned earlier. And with its front-wheel-drive setup, it feels a bit like an old school hot-hatch. The Fiat 500e runs out of steam at highway speeds, but as an around-town grocery-getter, it’s a hoot.
Speaking of highway, don’t expect to travel long distances. The 500e’s 42 kWh battery pack is only able to deliver up to 236 kilometres of range, and only charges at 85 kW at a DC fast charger—far less than industry standard today. Still, at those charging speeds, you can juice it up to 80 per cent in about 35 minutes. If you have a fast charger at home, you can easily top up overnight and be ready for all your errands the next day.
And you’ll do them faster than you think. The 500e makes you a bit of a hooligan with it’s small size, abundant torque, sharp steering, and pogo-like suspension. The small size gives you an odd sense of confidence, in that you just hit the throttle and squeeze into spaces most average-sized cars can’t. The EV torque helps to ensure you can execute on that confidence, too. The quick steering and short wheelbase makes the 500e feel like a bit of a go-kart. but it’s the suspension that really gives the 500e its rather silly nature. It feels overdamped, in that when you hit a bump, the dampers shoot the car back up like a pogo stick. It can upset the chassis if you hit a bump mid-corner, but on the other hand, it makes the 500e feel cartoonish when you’re driving spiritedly. All that said, in normal, day-to-day driving, the soft springs (as compared to the dampers) offer up better-than-expected ride quality in a car this small.
Our Red Edition is light on technology, with most of the expected tech features locked behind the uplevel ‘La Prima’ edition. These tech features include an upgraded audio system—the base system is meh— plus lane departure assist, adaptive cruise control, and even blind-spot monitoring. It’s a little odd all these are missing from the Red Edition, but it’s good to know they’re available.
The conundrum really starts when you look around at what else on themarket. The Fiat 500e is among the most unique cars available in its price range, but it’s far from the most practical, or even economical from a value perspective. The new Civic hybrid doesn’t elicit the same type of emotion the colourful little 500e might, but for similar money, it offers significantly more interior space, more features, and a great hybrid powertrain that is both efficient and surprisingly peppy. Not to mention, the Civic comes with all the features missing from the 500e.
But it isn’t an EV, whereas the 2024 Fiat 500e is. And I think people who want a Cinquecento want a Cinquecento and nothing else. At $40,095 as-tested but before fees, taxes and any incentives, it’s hard to make a case for the 500e from a value perspective. But emotionally, this cute little thing will win you over.
